Overview

A Russian operative working to turn a British attaché sets in motion a chain reaction that pits spy against spy, making unlikely allies of sworn foes.

From Italy, to Russia, to South America, journalists threaten to pull back the veil on covert operations, retired hitmen surrender to the tender mercies of former lovers, and old flames threaten to raze each other’s worlds to preserve the balance of power. For a man whittled to a blade, the only thing that matters is his target.

Caught in the filigree of this tangled web, one could find kinship, comfort, or wind up crushed under a boot—as spiders often are.

On the brink of retirement, a spy will risk all.

The writing’s on the wall. Will Rowe has no illusions about retaining his post as the head of the largest Section field office in South America. Private contractors, some more lawful than others, already see to most of their interests. It’s only a matter of time before Will himself is made redundant. He’d like to think he’s made peace with the inevitable, but when a figure from his past offers one last chance to make a difference, Will can’t resist.

Caught between his duty to the agency and his commitment to protect his operatives, Will must persuade the man who nearly wrecked his career to give up the one and only constant in his world—revenge.

Ignacio was a low-grade runner for the infamous Macias cartel the last time he and Will spoke. Now he is the head of the family and a direct beneficiary of MI6 cost-cutting measures. Will knows that approaching such a man without his superiors’ knowledge or approval is a perilous undertaking, but he doesn’t expect his body and heart to become forfeit. As events spiral out of his control, Will finds himself at the mercy of an old lover intent on awakening desires he long thought suppressed.